A counterblast to M. Hornes vayne blaste against M. Fekenham Wherein is set forthe: a ful reply to M. Hornes Answer, and to euery part therof made, against the declaration of my L. Abbat of Westminster, M. Fekenham, touching, the Othe of the Supremacy. By perusing vvhereof shall appeare, besides the holy Scriptures, as it vvere a chronicle of the continual practise of Christes Churche in al ages and countries, fro[m] the time of Constantin the Great, vntil our daies: prouing the popes and bishops supremacy in ecclesiastical causes: and disprouing the princes supremacy in the same causes. By Thomas Stapleton student in diuinitie.

The .5. Chapter. Of M. Fekenhams fourth chiefe point.

Stapleton.

IN this Diuisiō you lie and raile blasphemously and horri∣bly, euē as if Sathā had presētly entred into you, and prō∣pted vnto you at your backe, both such cācred matter as your poisoned hart hath cōceiued, ād also such foul termes, as your spritish pen hath endited. M. Fekenhā demaūded of you a very reasonable demaund, that is, in case he or other should now take this new found Othe, and that it should so chaūce, that any of the Princes successours should bind his subiects by the like statute law, to the cleane cōtrary, how they might be dispensed withal. To this, you M. Horne, in stede of some good reasō, fal to detestable railing: and ye say that the 2. oth must in no wise be geuē, for that the Pope is a more perillous enemy vnto Christ, then the Turke, and Poperie is more idolatrous, then Turkery. Of the which blasphemouse

answere (yf yt be true) yt must by a necessary consequente follow, that not only al the catholik princes that now liue, but that all the other that either liued in Englande sence it was first christened by S. Augustin our Apostle, or else where in christēdome for this .15. hundred yeares, with all their people, be and haue bene idolatours, and worse then Turkes. For by Popery M. Horne meaneth the Popes reli∣giō: which is none other now, thē yt was whē Englād was first christened, as appeareth by the historye of Venerable Bede▪ ād by the Fortresse ānexed therevnto. Yea thē it was 15. hundred yeares paste. Al the which time all Christiā and catholik natiōs, were euer ioyned with the sea of Rome in one faith and religiō. A heauy and a sorowful thing yt is to heare out of the mowth of one that beareth him self for a prelat of the see of Winchester,* 1.1 such spitiful words for the which he may be ful wel a prelat of the Alcoran. How be yt as horible as this talke is, yt is no vnwonte talke to the best of this new gospelling generatiō. For euē the Apostle of thē Luther maketh more accompt of the Turke, then of many Christiā princes: ād for a while he both preached ād wrote, that yt was not lawful for Christians to kepe anye warre with him. Namely that to warre against the Turkes, was to resist God, visitīg our iniquites by thē. It is one of his Ar¦ticles that he defendeth against the Church of Rome. And yt is writen that the Turk hearing of theis his doinges, and into what diuisiō he had brought Christēdom, liked it very well: and enquiring of his age, when he heard he was fifty yeres old, I would, {quod} the Turke he were yonger, the tyme shoulde perhaps ones come, when Luther shoulde fynde me his good Lord: which whē Luther heard of, he blessed him selfe and saied: God saue me from such a good Lorde.

Yea euen to this day Luther hath many schollers that de∣horteth Christian mē to resiste the Turkes, especially Clau∣dius Monerius one of the late holie martyrs of this newe ghospelling Church: who misliketh all the Christian mens defence,* 1.2 that they make to withstād the Turke, and saieth, that the knightes of the Rhodes are nothing but a graf that the heauenly Father neuer graffed, and therefore owght to be plucked vp by the roote. Let no man nowe merueill, yf the Turkes prosper so againste the Christiās, seing that he hath suche frendes at home here amonge our selues. Wherof you M. Horne are not one of the least, but a very Goliath, and much worse then he, so desperatly and so arrogantlie defying and reuiling the host of the liuing God, that is the whole catholike churche, much more vilanously and tray∣terously, than the sayd wicked Philistian did. For he was a sworen and professed enemy to the people of God: and therefore therein he did but his kinde. But you professing your selfe not only a friēd, but also a Captaine of the Chri∣stian army, (the place that you occupie, considered), do beare thereunto, a deuelish and a Philistian harte, as your Turkish, not Christian penne hath vttered. And yet yf ye had proued any thing all this while in your answere, to the derogation of the Popes authority, or of the religion, that he mainteineth, mens eares woulde lesse haue glowed, to heare you talke so Turkishlie. We haue in dede great bra∣uery in talke, and horrible woordes, withowt any substan∣tiall proufe of the matter ye take in hande. Yea, ye are ra∣ther ouerborne and beaten downe with a number of your owne allegations and authorities. As for the place of Iob ye alleage, that the hypocrites hope shall perishe, doth no more touche M. Fekenham and his fellowes, then yt did

touche the blessed man Iob. Baldad did vntruely charge him with yt, and ye doe as baldly, and as vntruely charge nowe the catholikes therwith. The Catholiks haue almost one thousand of yeres quietly possessed and enioyed their faith in our realme that ye peuishely and prowdly call Po∣pery. The religion that ye professe hath not as yet, contine∣wed there vnder anie one Prince tenne yeares together. Miracles ye worke none, though many wōders ye worke, for your procedinges are altogether to be wondered at. Neither the lyfe of your sect is so vertuouse, nor the lear∣ning so greate, that either wyse men, and suche as haue the feare of God in them, may sodenly be drawen from theire aunciente Catholike faith: or that ye may so binde Princes nowe lyuing and all theire successours, by suche a Turkish answere to a reasonable demaunde, as they may not in any wise mainteyne that faith, that notoriously and commonly was mainteyned in Englande almost a thousande yeares, ere ye were borne. M. Feckenhās most reasonable demaūd therfore remayneth vnanswered, and the foule absurdyte, which he obiecteth vnauoyded, appereth well (as it is in dede) by your silence vnauoydable.

••he .161. Diuision. pag. 102. a. M. Fekenham.

Here foloweth the Resolutions of the are foresayde Scru∣ples, made by my L. Bishop of VVinchester.

For a resolute ansvvere to all the saide Scruples, ex∣pressed in the forenamed poinctes, his L. sayde, that he did muche lamente, that the right meaninge of the Othe; had not beene in season opened and declared vnto me,

whan the onely lacke of the right vnderstanding thereof, hath bene the cause of such staies and distourbance of cō∣science. Whereas the Q. Maiesties meaning in that Othe, is farre otherwise, thā the expresse words are, as they lie verbatim, like as it doth well appeare by her Highnes interpretatiō made thereof in the Iniunctiōs. Therevnto my obiectiō was, that vndoutedly her Highnes did fully meane and mind to claim and take al spiritual gouernmēt vpō her: for besides the expres wordes of the Othe, wher∣vnto al mē be bound to swere verbatim as they lie, with∣out al chaunge and alteratiō making of any word or sense thereof, her Highnes (in the interpretation set foorth in her Iniūctiōs) doth by very playn words, claime the same spiritual gouernmēt here in this realme of the Church of England, that her highnes father Kinge Henry, and her brother king Edwarde did enioye and claime before her: in the which iniunctiōs, and in the late acte of Parleamēt also her highnes doth claime no more spiritual gouernmēt nor no lesse, but so much in euery point, as they had with∣out all exception. For answere his L. did still continue in the deniall thereof, and that her Highnes meaning was not to take so much of Spiritual authority and power vp∣pon her, as they did: with affirmation, that he did moste certainly and assuredly know her highnes minde therein. Then for some issue to be had of this matter, seeing that the meaning of the Othe, is not as the expresse words doe

purport: And seing that his L. did so well vnderstand her Highnes meaning therein, and thereby the very righte sence therof, I besought him, that his L. would take some paines for truthes sake to penne the same: wherevpon his L. did penne and write the interpretatiō of the said Othe as hereafter followeth. I.A.B. do vtterly testifie and de∣clare in my cōscience, that the Q. Highnes is the only Su∣preme gouernor of this Realm, and of al other her High∣nes dominiōs and countries, as wel in al spiritual or ecclesi¦astical things or causes, as tēporal. That is, to haue the so∣ueraingtie and rule ouer al manner persons, borne within her Realmes, dominions and coūtries, of what estate ei∣ther Ecclesiastical or tēporal so euer they be. And to haue authority and power to visit the Ecclesiastical estate, and persons, to refourme, order, and correct the same: and all maner errours, heresies, schismes, abuses, offenses, cōtem∣ptes, and enormities. Yet neuertheles in no wise meaning, that the Kings and Queenes of this Realme, possessours of this crowne, may challenge authoritie or power of mi∣nisterie of diuine offices, as to preache the worde of God, to minister Sacramentes or rytes of the Churche appoin∣ted by Christe to the office of Churche ministers, to ex∣communicate, or to binde, or loose. Of the whiche fo∣wer pointes, three belong onely to the Ecclesiastical mi∣nisters, the fourthe is cōmon to them with the congrega∣tion, namely to excōmunicate. And that no forain Prince,

Person, Prelat, State or Potētate, hath or ought to haue any iurisdiction, Power, Superioritie, preheminence, or authority ecclesiastical or Spiritual, within this realme. And therefore I doe vtterly renounce al foraine iurisdi∣ctions, powers, superiorities, preheminences, and autho∣rities: That is, as no Secular or Laie Prince, other than the King or Quenes possessours of the Croune of this Re∣alme, of what Title or dignitie so euer they be, hathe or oughte to haue, anye Authoritie, soueraigntie, or pow∣er, ouer this Realme, ouer the Prince or Subiectes thereof. Euen so no manner of foraine Prelate or per∣son Ecclesiastical, of what title, name, so euer they be, neither the See of Rome, neither any other See, hathe or ought to haue, vse, enioye, or exercise, any maner of po∣wer, iurisdiction, authority, superioritie, preheminence, or priuilege spiritual or ecclesiastical within this realme, or within any the Quenes highnes dominions or Coūtries. And therefore, al suche foraine power vtterly is to be re∣noūced, and I do {pro}mise, &c. vt sequitur in forma iuramēti.

M. Horne.

These that ye terme Resolutions, are none of (.558.)* 1.3 mine, they are like him that forged them, false, feined, and ••alitious. They be your ovvne, ey∣ther ye could not, or ye vvere ashamed to adioyne my ansvvere to your seely obiections, and therfore ye feygned mee to vtter for resolutions, your ovvne peuissh cauillations. This report is false, that I should affirme the Queenes Maiesties meaning in that Othe to be farre othervvise then the expresse vvords are as they lie verbatim. This my constant assertion, that her highnes

mind and meaning is, to take so much, and no more of spiritual authority and povver vpon her, than King Henry, and king Edvvard enioyed and did iustly claime, you vntruely feygne to be your obiectiō. And that I should affirme of most certain and sure knovvledge, her Maiesties mind or the very right sence of the Othe, to be othervvise thā it is plainly set forth, is a malicious sclander, vvherof I vvil fetche no better profe, then the testimony of your mouth. Ye cō∣fesse that the interpretatiō folovving, vvas pēned and vvritē by me, to declare the very right sence and meaning of the Othe, vv••erein ye haue acquited me, and cōdēned your self, of a manifest vntruth. For the right sence and meaning declared in the interpretatiō that I made, and you haue set forth, doth (.559.)* 1.4 plainly shevve the cleane contrary, if you marke it vvel, to al that you here set forth in my name, vnder the title of my resolutions to your scruples. Further∣more, in the preface to your fornamed points, ye haue declared by vvord and vvriting, that I did require you presently to svveare and by othe to acknovv∣ledge her highnes to be the only supreme gouernour in al spiritual or ecclesia∣stical things or causes. If this be true that you haue said, it is manifest by your ovvn cōfession, that I declared her maisties meaning in that Othe, to be none othervvise than the expresse vvords are, as they lye verbatim. For vvhen I shovve her meaning to be, that ye should acknovvledge in her highnes, the only supremacy, I do declare plainly, that she meaneth to exclude,* 1.5 al other men frō hauīg any supremacy: for this exclusiue only, cā not haue any other sense or meaning. And vvhā I add this supremacy to be in al spiritual causes or things, I shevve an vniuersal cōprehension to be meant vvithout exception. For if ye * 1.6 except or take avvay any thing, it is not al. And you yourself tooke my mea¦ning to be thus. For ye chalēge me in your second chefe point, and cal for profe hereof at my hand, vvhich ye vvould not do, if it vvere not mine assertion and meaning. For vvhy should I be driuē to proue that vvhich I affirme not, or meant not. Besides these in your vvhole trauaile folovving, ye labour to im∣proue this (as you saie) mine assertion, to vvit, that al spiritual iurisdiction dependeth vpon the positiue lavv of Princes: If this be mine assertion, as ye af∣firme it is, and therfore bend al your force to improue it, ye vvittnes vvith me (.560.)* 1.7 against your selfe, that I declared her maiesties meanīg, vvas to take neither more nor lesse authoritie, and iurisdictiō, vnto her selfe, than king Hē∣rie and King Edvvarde had, for they had no more thā al. And if her Maiestie take any lesse, she hath not al. Touching therefore these false, feined, and slan∣derous

resolutions, as they are by you moste vntruly forged: euen so, vvhether this bee likely, that in a yeres space vvel nigh, I vvould not in all our daily cōference, make (.561.)* 1.8 one reason or argumēt, out of the Scriptures or other authority, in the maintenaunce of mine assertion: and to resolue you in the same, I referre to the iudgemēt of all the Papistes in the Realme, that knovv both me and you. Againe, though ye doe denie that I so did, and therefore do report none, there bee many both vvorshipful ād of good credit, yea and some of your ovvn deer friendes also, that are vvitnesses of our talke, and can tell vvhat reasons I haue made vnto you, bothe out of the Scriptures, and other authorities and proofes out of the Churche histories, suche as ye coulde not auoide, but vvere forced to (.562.)* 1.9 yelde vnto. And vvhether I should so do•• or not, I might referre me vnto the testimonie of your ovvn mouthe, both thā and sithē spoken to diuerse, that can vvitnesse the same, that ye affirmed this (although vntrulie) that you neuer found anie, that so much ouerpressed you, as I did, vvhich your saing, although most vntrue, yet it shovveth, that somevvhat I saied to confirme mine assertion, and to confute yours.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Turke is muche bovvnde to M. Horn ād, to his M. Luther and other his fel∣lovves. Art. 34. Vide Ro∣fens.

  Vide dubi∣tantium Lindain pag. 322. ex Mālio. ••om. 3 in loc. Com. pag. 195.
• * 1.2

  Vide Cri∣spinum in historia pseudo∣martyrū lib. 5. in Claudio Monerio.
• * 1.3

  The .558. Vntruth. Shamful. For they are your very own as it shall appeare.
• * 1.4

  The .559. Vntruth. your in∣terpreta∣tiō agre∣eth vvith your re∣solutiōs, the inter∣pretation exceptīg certaine iurisdicti∣on in cau¦ses Eccle∣siasticall from the Prince, vvhereof doth fol∣low, that (as the re∣solutions reporte) the Othe must not be taken, as it lieth Verbatim.
• * 1.5

  So al ge∣neral coū¦celles are excluded.
• * 1.6

  VVhy thē do ye exclude out of the Oth pre∣chīg. Mi∣nistrīg of sacramēts bindīg, ād losing. etc
• * 1.7

  The .560. vntruth. Not against him selfe. For first you saied so: but in your resolutiōs, and interpreta∣tion of the Othe you saie the cōtrary. And so in both places you are truly charged.
• * 1.8

  The, 561. vntruth. M. Fekē∣ham de∣nieth it not, in any his vvordes aboue re∣hersed.
• * 1.9

  The .562. vntruth, M. Fekē∣hā neuer yelded to any your proofes, reasons, or Au∣••horites.